Hair Hell-Surviving the Dreaded Grow Out

I’m one of those people who changes their hair often and without warning. I don’t mean I just decide to part it differently or try some complicated braid I saw on YouTube; I mean I bleach it, dye it, chop it, change it.

A year ago that feeling came over me. I was craving a tress transformation. I began to randomly stumble upon pictures of celebrities with pixie cuts. Daring ladies who’ve cut it all off with adorable results include: Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway, Emma Watson, Jennifer Hudson and so many others. After one too many short hair Tumblr viewings, I went to the salon and asked the stylist to take it all off. While I look nothing like the aforementioned celebs, I really liked the pixie, but now it’s been a year and I’m getting that itch again.

Having short hair is great for experimenting with different colors—the damage doesn’t stick around for very long—but I’ve ran out of hues and I’m craving something different. I want long hair again. Growing out a pixie is the worst. Once you start the process it takes months to morph from weird and shaggy, to mullet, and into a passable bob. After that, with normal hair growth you still have months before you can make a proper ponytail.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. I’ve actually been here before—I am a hair changing maniac after all—and I have five tips/commandments for anyone trying to grow-out a pixie.

Accept the things you cannot change. Hair will not magically grow back overnight, no matter how many stars you wish on. But don’t worry, it will grow back. I promise.

Get to the salon. This may sound counter-intuitive, but you’ll want to keep a mullet from happening and there’s no one better to battle the awkward hair stages with then a good stylist. Just a slight trim here and there and some shaping will make a world of difference.

Try some supplement magic. I have friends who swear by Biotin supplements to speed up hair growth and I’ve known others who claim equal success with prenatal vitamins. I have taken both in the past and while I didn’t see a drastic speed up in growth, I think it did help and as a bonus my nails got really strong. Obviously, use common sense when taking any supplement—do your research first. If vitamins aren’t for you consider munching your way to longer hair. Check out: www.webmd.com/beauty/hair-styling/top-10-foods-for-healthy-hair

Go shopping. Accessorize your hair with headbands, scarves, glittery clips—anything that will leave you feeling cute and draw positive attention to your hair. I’ve created a style board with headbands, clips, and scarves, from Forever 21, ModCloth and Anthropologie. Similar, adorable styles can be found at most retailers.

Dress up your hair! Try to have fun with the awkward stages, now is the time to experiment. Good luck and don’t be afraid to shake things up!